Process of making patent-leather.



PATENTED JUNE 30,1903,

` W. R. SMITH. PROCESS 0E MAKING PATENT LEATHER.

APPLIQATIQN FILED NOV. 1, 1902.

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WTN'E'SEES;

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UNITED STATES Patented J' une 30, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

YVILLIAM R. SMITH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOJOHN D. LARKIN, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF NAKING PATENT-LEATHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 732,129, dated June30, 1903.

Application filed November 1, 1902.

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. SM1TH,of Boston, in the county of Suolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Processes of Making Patent-Leathe1-, dac., of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the process of forming on one side of a pieceof leather or other material a glossy coating, which is formed byapplying a suitable composition to the leather and subjecting the coatedleather to a sufficient degree of heat to vulcanize. or harden the saidcoating, the product being the ordinary and well-known patent-leatherofcommerce. The degree of heat required to vulcanize the coating is suchas to injuriously aect the leather, rendering the same brittle, so thatthe finished leather is liable to crack, especially when formed intocurved articles, such as parts of boot and shoe uppers.

My invention has for its object to provide for the protection of theleather during the heating operation, so that the leather instead ofbeing rendered brittle will retain its natural strength and pliability.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceedtodescribe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure l represents a perspective view of an appliance used inpracticing my hereinafter-described improvement. Fig. 2 'represents asection on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 representsasectional view showinga modification ot' the device represented in Figs. l and 2.

a represents the sheet or piece ot' leather coated on one side, thecoating being of any suitable nature adapted to be fixed and renderedhard and glossy by heat. In practice the sheet of leather af ter beingcoated is placed in an oven, where it is allowed to remain until thecoating has been vulcanized or rendered iirm.

In carrying out my invention I place the back or uncoated side of theleather in con- Serial No. 129.659. (No specimens.)

tact with a protecting-bed, which is adapted to prevent injurious actionof the heat upon the leather. In Figs. l and 2 I show a bed composed ofa hollowcham ber having means for the admission and exit of a current ofair and internal means for circulating the air. b represents thechamber, which has an 'air-inlet pipe c, an air-outlet pipe d, andsemipartitions or bathe-plates e e e, arranged to cause the air topassin a sinuous course through the chamber, as indicated by arrows inFig. l, which shows a part of the chamber broken away. The sheet a ofleather is placed upon the top ot' the chamber and may besuitablysecured thereto by suitable means, such as by cords f f,engaging with hooks or studs g g, affixed to the top of the chamber. Thechamber b is to be inserted in the vulcanizing or curing oven, thelatter having provisions for the projection of the air-pipes c and doutside of the oven, so that the current of cool air may be forcedthrough the chamber through the pipe c, the air heating the chamberescaping from the oven through the pipe d. I find that coated leathersubjected to heat while supported by the top in the chamber b is notinjured to any appreciable extent by the heat.

In Fig. 3 I show a bed composed of a sheet b of asbestos supported by asuitable rigid base or holder b2. This bed is to be inserted inthe ovenwith the sheet of leather placed upon the asbestos, the latterpreventing the heat from being conducted to the under surface of theleather.

I do not limit myself to the described means for carrying outmyinvention and may use any other suitable means for protecting the backor under side of the piece of prepared leather while the coating on thefront side of the piece is being vulcanized or cured.

It is obvious that cotton cloth and other materials may be treated inthe manner above described. Hence my inventionis not limited toso-called patent-leather.

I claim- 1. That improvement in the art or process 95 of coating leatherand other materials, which consists in protecting the back side of theWhile the coating on the front side of the piece of prepared materialfrom heat While piece is being vulcanized. 1o the coating on the frontside of the piece is In testimony WhereofI have affixed my sigbeingvulcanized. y l nature in presence of two Witnesses.

2. That improvement in the art or process WILLIAM R. SMITH. of coatingleather and other materials, which Witnesses: consists in conductingrheat away from thel MILLARD F. BOWEN,

back side of thepiecc of prepared material l BURTON I-I. BROWNELL.

